Tyrese Haliburton wasn't expecting to get emotional during his long-awaited return from a torn Achilles tendon, but he broke into tears of joy Wednesday night when he looked into the Smoothie King Center crowd and saw Pacers fans celebrating his comeback. "The best part was the end and that moment," Haliburton told Andscape after the Indiana Pacers' 123-120 season-opening win over the New Orleans Pelicans. "It's been an emotional roller coaster. What made me feel that way was seeing all those Pacers fans here in New Orleans. That was special."
Haliburton, admittedly gassed, scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and added 12 assists in 33 minutes as Indiana held on. It was his first game since he tore his right Achilles in a Game 7 loss to the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on June 22, 2025. The Pacers went from Eastern Conference champions to a 19-63 record last season without him. Forward Pascal Siakam, who led all scorers with 30 points, said he was just happy to see Haliburton back on the floor.
Coach Rick Carlisle praised his point guard's performance. "Tyrese played extremely well. It's the first time he played over 30 minutes in 16½ months." Haliburton started slowly, finishing the first half with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting, while Pelicans forward Zion Williamson stole the first-half spotlight with 15 points, including a buzzer-beating 3.
Haliburton came alive in the fourth quarter, drawing fouls, delivering assists and hitting key baskets, including a three-point play that gave Indiana a 121-118 lead with 1:23 remaining. He also credited Dejounte Murray, who tore his own right Achilles in January 2025, as his biggest NBA mentor during recovery.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing